In Between
by Megeen
Summary: Collection of Cassie/Adam one-shots following a storyline and the show to some extent, until it takes on a life of its own...
1. Chapter: To the bonfire

**There doesn't seem to be a lot of Cassie/Adam around here yet, so I don't know if people even wanna read that. I just can't write non-canon-pairings, so give it a try. It's fairly short for now.**

**Also, English isn't my native language but I'm fairly comfortable with it. Still, if anything sounds off, please let me know.**

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><p><span>Set between the car-ride and closing the circle<span>

Cassie lowered her head in embarrassment and sucked in a slow, deep breath as quietly as possible before she stuck out her chin in petulant defiance. She had never been someone to repress her emotions, but usually she had fared well with 'Can't change what just happened, so why dwell on it…' She had really tried to keep her emotions in check around Adam but apparently that still didn't quite work. Exploding streetlights! What was next? _Yet another reason to bind that stupid circle._

Next to her, Adam was driving towards the beach now. They had to bind the circle. He could feel himself almost slipping off the edge time and again. His control was waning, like just now. He was good at pretending problems were easily fixable while looking them straight in the eye, and thereby creating his very own self-fulfilling prophecy. But since Cassie had arrived that obviously didn't work anymore. For now, he was in control again. _For now._ His senses seemed to have gotten used to Cassie's presence in the car after the assault they had endured when she sat down less than two feet from him. But now, he could feel her tension rolling off of her much stronger than anyone probably should be able to. When he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, she was determinedly staring out the window.

They didn't speak until Adam parked the car next to Faye's and Diana's on the outskirts of the woods that led to the lake. He took a shaky, last breath of her before they both opened the doors. They slowly and quietly rounded the car; Cassie because she wanted him to take the lead without actually having to talk to him and Adam so he could try to decipher her mood. It couldn't just be her nervousness over binding the circle, could it? As they came closer to the opening in the woods Cassie could see the bonfire through the branches and suddenly decided her new strategy would be getting this over as fast as possible.

"Cassie wait," Adam called, taking her hand and effectively stopping her although she still stubbornly kept her body turned away from him. Holding her hand now, he could feel the current running through and between them even stronger than the other times. They should become used to it over time, but, instead of dissipating, their connection just seemed to be getting more distinct every time they touched.

"God, why is this so hard," Adam thought without realizing he'd released the words with a gush of air.

"I'm sorry," Cassie whispered back ruefully while trying not to focus on the warmth of his hand.

"What about," he asked going around her to face her but she still averted her eyes.

"Making that streetlamp explode. I didn't even feel it," she answered defiantly staring into the shady forest.

Adam put his head into the line of her vision causing Cassie to simply close her eyes. "Believe me," he said his deep voice even more soothingly than usual, "you didn't. That one wasn't you." He gave her a small smile as her eyes shot open in sceptical surprise. He lifted his hand to cradle the side of her neck now that she was finally looking at him and understanding. Cassie took a stuttering breath as the so far most intimate touch tripled the aching pounding in her stomach and chest, and she involuntarily closed her eyes.

That seemed to break the spell if not the connection and Adam put his hand away from her head. He forced himself to also let go of her other hand, although he couldn't bring himself to step away from her completely.

Cassie's eyes shot up to his almost thankfully for a second, but then she guarded herself again. "Let's get this over with," she breathed out, shaking herself internally, and shuffled along next to him trough the woods, careful not to trip and stumble into his side.

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><p><strong>I do plan to continue this and I have collected quite a few ideas for future scenes. However, sadly my experience tells me that actually sitting down and writing the next chapter is a whole different issue once I've gotten the worst out of my system. So, if I can actually bring myself to find time and continue this, it will probably be an assortment of one-shots following a storyline, and the show to some extent (in between different scenes and episodes), until it takes on a life of its own. If that makes sense…<strong>

**Review if you like.**


	2. Chapter: Car ride back

**So, apparently I really am continuing this. I've structured my ideas and now it's _only_ a matter of actually writing this stuff down so others, meaning you, can understand it and it doesn't remain an assortment of separate sentences…**

**This is just a short interlude, before the next chapters will be longer, which is to say they'll probably also take longer to write. So, be patient with me. Now that I've started, I'm too stubborn to stop, no matter how many books for my classes mock me from my desk because they feel neglected.**

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><p><span>The car ride back<span>

They were riding in silence, again. This time, however, it was mainly because they were both lost in thought about what had just transpired.

"Are you OK, Cassie," Adam asked mainly to break the ice.

She turned towards him curiously. "I don't feel any different. Do you," she asked a little quizzically without knowing if she was actually talking about their powers or that confusing longing inside of her.

Adam focused a little more closely than entirely necessary on the road as they were passing through town and said, "I don't think so," also leaving the question open that was actually pressing on both their minds.

"So, what happens now," Cassie inquired realizing her previous question might have been a little too harsh, considering that Adam didn't know how to deal with this stuff any more than she did.

"I don't know," his eyes shifted to hers for a second then back to the road. "Let's hope everything is under control, and we can be normal again." Cassie huffed sarcastically and Adam continued grinning, "Alright, how about, as normal as it gets?" After a second he continued, "Listen, I know you didn't ask for this, and I didn't either. I don't even see the need to use our powers at all. So, let's just hope everything is contained now and we can be normal again – semi-normal."

"Yeah, sure," Cassie agreed as Adam stopped the car in front of her grandmother's house, her home now, she realized. "Thanks for the ride. Good night," and as she looked into his eyes for a moment in gratitude Adam realized that binding the circle definitely hadn't solved one of their problems even if he wasn't sure about the magic yet.

"Sleep tight, Cassie," he told her quietly as she left the car.

When she reached the door, Adam was distracted from watching after her until she was safely inside by the glistening of dew floating over the lawn. He shook himself out of his trance when Cassie closed the front door and the water fell to the ground like nothing had happened. He turned the ignition on. _This was not good. Not good at all._

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><p><strong>Thank you for all your reviews. I've realized that I really do love getting them, more than people who don't write might realize. But, I hate it when writers fish for reviews, so this is me not fishing, just letting you know - very loudly… ;P<strong>


	3. Chapter: After the abandoned house

**After re-watching episode 3, I realized that this fits perfectly before the dance because I wasn't quite sure where Cassie's demand for "no compliments" came from. Just my own paranoid over-interpretation of everything.**

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><p><span>After the abandoned house<span>

"Cassie the circle is nothing if we're not together. We have to be. Unless you think you could have handled that guy by yourself today," Diana challenged her.

Adam tried to break the slightly awkward silence that followed, "How about we get home for now and figure this out there."

"You go ahead. I'll stay here and try to find something in the book that might help us with Zachary."

"Are you sure," Adam inquired, "maybe none of us should be alone right now." He shot a meaningful glance at Cassie who looked ready to take off on her own.

"No, that's fine. Go ahead. No one knows this place. Who would come here?" She assured him as she leaned give him a good-bye kiss as usual. Cassie sucked in a gush of air and quickly averted her gaze from the scene that automatically caused her stomach to sink. Adam's eyes tried to shift to hers for a split second, half in involuntary apology, half in confusion.

As Diana moved to the corner where the journal was hidden, she heard Adam offer, "Come on, I'll drive you home." And with a pang guilty satisfaction she listened to Cassie's hasty reply as their footsteps died away, "No, that's really not necessary. I can walk. I really need to figure out how to get a car. Can't have you guys drive me around all the time."

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><p>Outside, they walked next to each other in silence until they were well out of sight from the abandoned house, when Adam finally inquired, "Are you really OK?"<p>

"Yes, I'm fine, please stop asking me that," she huffed out.

"Cassie, please," he took her hand, so she faced him through momentum of her step. But she looked up at him challengingly, her eyes guarded.

_All right, this seriously has to stop_, she thought. _He's standing too close - again._ And Adam was moving closer still. The terror that had overcome him when Diana had told them about the attack finally caught up with him. He needed her to be OK, he realized. _Cassie couldn't get hurt!_

"Just let me make sure," he whispered to himself. He was already slowly moving his arms to her hips and around her, so Cassie heard him but she still couldn't force her legs to move. She'd noticed his scent before but now she realized that it was yet another bewitching thing about him. Instinctively she rested her forehead on his shoulder. _Perfect fit. Of course. It had to be…_ Adam spread his hands out flat in the small of her back trying to catch as much of the warmth seeping through her shirt and his fingers contracted helplessly.

He kept thinking that being close to her – just once – would be enough, would quench whatever was pulling him towards her, but now that he had her, could feel Cassie all along him, he couldn't help needing her closer still. He felt her hand fist into the sides of his shirt, and didn't know if it was out of desire or anger. His arms, however, wouldn't let go yet and desperately moved higher, snaking tighter around her, half lifting her off the ground and into his body.

Cassie lost her grip on his shirt and dragged her hands to his shoulders, one hand cradling the nape of his neck and the other buried deeply in his soft hair. His head tipped forward so his cheek touched the shell of her ear and she let out a strangled gasp at the overload of sensations racing through her. She'd never been this close with anyone before and yet, here she was, almost letting him absorb her into him.

Cassie's hands absentmindedly caressing him was sending shiver after shiver rolling from where she touched his head down to the tips of his toes. It was driving Adam crazy and making him restless, and he involuntarily returned the favour wanting her to feel exactly the exquisite bliss he was relishing.

She did not understand how she could feel this calm and contented, and at the same time, experience that expanding pressure like her heart was simply too big for her chest. She'd been through a lot of pain, and fear, and anguish over the last two months, so much, that she reckoned she should be numb to everything by now. But feeling Adam's warm hand almost languidly massaging the nape of her neck made her want to give him everything and hide in a far corner of her room at the same time.

They let one moment drag into the next, and the next, both at the same time anticipating and fearing that the other would move away first. They did not know where they would go from here once the spell broke. All Adam knew was that nothing had ever felt as right and calming as the forceful and erratic pumping of his heart and the blood rushing through his body trying to get to hers, trying to get just a little closer.

He murmured Cassie's name into her hair, as if to remind himself that they were really here. He could feel her releasing tiny gushes of air on his neck, her nose pressed to his clavicle, and it didn't help his resolve at all not to let this spin anymore out of control. Technically, they hadn't betrayed Diana, he tried to convince himself. However, considering that this was the most real moment of his entire life, he could not help feeling guilty that in just these few seconds he'd felt more of everything at once than he had ever experienced before.

His guilt increased when it was Cassie with an almost inaudible gasp who had to break their death grip on each other. Again, she looked at him challengingly almost accusing before she quickly averted her gaze again. She just couldn't look at his eyes anymore. _Soulful_, Sally had called them. _She didn't know the half of it_. Cassie knew she would start crying soon, she could feel the stinging tears pressing forward behind her eyes. The contracting pain in her chest that was already profound when he had held her instantly seemed to intensify with every inch she moved away from him. If she looked into his eyes right now, she wouldn't be able to hold back until she was at least a few steps away.

Adam was rooted to the spot by how much that one little hug had gotten out of hand. Transfixed, he stared after her. He was dimly aware that Cassie wasn't running but resolutely striding away from him. In half-panic he broke out of his stupor only when she disappeared from sight behind a tree for a second. Adam understood then, that he had to keep his distance and shouldn't come close to her right now because apparently he couldn't be trusted to be alone with her. But still, he had to make sure she got home safely. That was definitely more important than being afraid she might feel violated again. If only he could convince himself that this was the reason he was tracking after her at a safe distance at that moment.

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><p><strong>So, this particular scene was the first one I had planned to write for this, my initial need-to-get-this-out-of-my-system if you want. I was supposed to be intense, but now I don't know if maybe I overdid it and dragged this one out too long. What do you think? Maybe I should have warned you beforehand, huh?<strong>

**Also, I'm definitely not keeping this limited to hugging and longing glances, don't worry. But I think it fits with their characters at the point where they're at right now.**

**And I love the build-up. :D**


	4. Chapter: After the dance

After the dance

Adam felt a sense of déjà vu when he rang her grandmother's door after having walked around town aimlessly for hours.

"Cassie. You have a late visitor – again," Mrs. Blake called up the stairs. She fixed a scrutinizing eye on Adam, before disappeariong into the kitchen, not without noticing that his eyes were glued to Cassie from the moment she appeared on top of the stairs._ Aw, one ought to be a fly on the wall here._

Cassie reluctantly trudged down the stairs and looked at entrance to the kitchen where her grandma had disappeared. "Hey," she said, finally arriving on the lowest step.

"Hi," Adam smiled nervously fisting his hands in his pockets. For the life of him, he could not remember how to begin any of the conversations he'd been having in his mind for hours. When he finally took a deep breath, Cassie quickly decided she didn't want to hear any more apologies or, worse, explanations of how they couldn't be together, "Seriously can we please not talk about this. Just forget anything ever happened? Clean slate?" She'd promised Diana she had nothing to worry about and she fully intended to keep her promise even if it burned her.

"Doesn't work. Believe me, I've tried," he proclaimed hastily.

"Adam what do you want me to say," she huffed. _This whole situation just sucked. It wasn't like it was her fault._ Her room upstairs promised refuge, peace and quiet. But his eyes were boring into hers with an intensity that should have scared her and yet guiltily excited her.

"I just", he started to say and broke off again. How was he supposed to explain that after trying to walk away from her for hours, he'd ended up on her doorsteps anyway?

"You love Diana," Cassie interrupted him. "You said that. This cannot happen again," she quoted, challenging him to contradict her while looking at him with hard, vulnerable eyes. The pain in her voice was what made Adam automatically take a step closer to her so he almost had to hex his arm to stay on his side and not reach out to her standing just within reach. Cassie was just tired of hurting; she wanted him to understand how this situation, in which she has no say at all, was suffocating her. But the connection was there almost instantaneously without them even having to touch. They stared at each other, hypnotized by the sizzling floodgates of energy that had opened between their eyes. Neither Cassie nor Adam noticed the hall lights getting brighter and brighter around them due to the overcharge of power they were radiating. Only when the first of five light bulbs burst with a plop and Cassie shrank together, did Adam move. He instinctively took another step closer to protect her from whatever was attacking them. He clasped her thankfully covered arm a second before her grandmother hurried from the kitchen. Cassie quickly wiggled out of his grasp and bolted up the stairs leaving Adam staring after her even more confused than before.

"What happened," Mrs. Blake asked again, he hadn't heard her the first time. "Cassie? Are you OK?"

"Yes, just...," She trailed off. _Seriously, how had she gotten into this mess? _

Mrs. Blake turned around to demand an explanation of their late-night visitor, but when she saw his subjugated look, she realized that demanding an answer of the confused boy would probably be futile. "I think it's better if you leave now," she prodded him gently touching his arm half in comfort, half to stir him towards the door.

"I-m, don't know what-eh-what happened," he stammered when he finally focused on Cassie's grandmother although he knew very well. He threw another worried, longing look upstairs. "I'm sorry," he added defeated, and Mrs. Blake didn't know if he was talking to her or the girl behind the wall.

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><p>After shutting the door behind her as normal as possible, Cassie pressed her hands to her face for a moment, literally trying to push the tears back inside. That was the one thing she'd learned since her mom had died, controlling that part of her emotions. <em>Practice makes perfect, right?<em>

"Honey, do you want to talk about it," her grandma asked gently after opening the door a fraction.

"I really don't, to be honest," Cassie replied. "I'm just really confused right now. But I need to figure this out on my own." _How did anyone expect her to explain this?_

"If you're sure, honey," Mrs. Blake said warmly. "You know you can always talk to me." Not knowing if this would make matters worse, she added, "You are your mother's daughter, you know? She wasn't always sunshine and roses either. And she kept a lot to herself, too, but it worked for her." At the mention of her mom, Cassie felt strangely better. _Had she gone through the same?_ "You know where to find me, honey," Mrs. Blake smiled at her comfortingly.

"Thanks, grandma," Cassie said before the door closed.

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><p><strong>I feel like this scene is too close to stuff we've already had (combination of their talk in episode 1 and the exploding streetlight), but I was almost done when I realized how similar it actually is, so I still kept it. And I want it as a set-up for the next chapter, although I got a little bored with it after a while, so I don't know if it's any good… – Gotta stop rambling, I know. Sorry.<strong>


	5. Chapter: Across

**Alright guys, finally, here's the next chapter, and this one is the longest yet. I guess I spoiled you with the relatively quick updates of the first chapters. I wasn't quite happy with the last one and where it left me. I couldn't see a logical/natural path, that was consistent with their characters, between where I put them and where I known I want them to go. So, I'm still not entirely happy with how this turned out, but it's as close as it gets.**

**After so much self-deprecation, don't worry, this chapter is probably not as bad as it feels to me. Actually it probably turned out a lot better than I expected at the beginning. I wouldn't publish it if I thought it was garbage. But after you've read the same lines again, and again, and again, and again – it stops making sense. So, judge for yourself if it feels logical or anything is out of place.**

**Also, please bear in mind, that we're still at the end of episode 3 meaning after the dance… Episode 4 hasn't happened and won't in this story. Although I have loads of other ideas of where to go with that one.**

**Long chapter, even longer rambling than usual.**

**So, now have fun with the next chapter.**

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><p><span>Across<span>

Minutes later Adam found himself standing in front of the house next door. Despite being the only two guys in the circle, he and Nick weren't exactly best buddies. They also didn't hate each other. Nonetheless, for some reason they just didn't click. _Then again, did anyone click with Nick?_ Adam didn't particularly care at that moment. He needed to talk to Cassie and he had to figure out how no one would get hurt along the way. Agitated as he was, Adam was only dimly aware of how doomed this endeavour was right from the get-go.

So, without really thinking about the ramifications, he rang the bell. Nick's uncle opened the door wordlessly, and Adam suddenly realized, seeing the drunken, bulky man, that he knew astonishingly little about Nick apart from the history that bonded them together.

"Eh, hi, is Nick here," if he hadn't been so on edge already Adam might have flinched when Nick's uncle hollered up the stairs. He seized Adam up for a moment, probably decided that he could take him, turned around disinterestedly and disappeared behind a corner.

Taking this as a cue to come in, Adam went up the stairs and knocked on the first door to the right, estimating this was the room that was across from Cassie's. "What," came an annoyed bark from inside.

Nick wasn't wearing a shirt when he opened the door, but then again, no one in the house usually cared where he was, when he left and came back, and he was fine with that. So, hearing the slurry voice of his uncle closely followed by a knock on the door was kinda odd. Finding Adam on the other side was odder still.

"I need your room," Adam said curtly and only half-way trough realized just how weird that sounded.

Melissa who was sitting on the bed, thankfully clothed, gasped at seeing him there. She soon realized that Adam was probably one of the few people right now who wouldn't judge her. _He had enough on his plate as it was_, she rejoiced somewhat spitefully.

But it was Nick who caught on first when he saw Adam's eyes drift to the window. _Oh, how cute._ "With you here, I can open her blinds if you want. Maybe she's changing again. You'll like what you see," he snickered suggestively. Cruelly satisfied, he registered the flicker of anger in Adam's eyes at the idea of someone playing Peeping Tom on _his_ Cassie. But, he was instantly reminded of the intensity of he other boy's solitary thought when Cassie had been in danger just hours before. _Better don't play when you can't win_, he decided.

"Come on, let's give the puppy dog his privacy," Nick muttered to Melissa.

"But it would be so much fun to watch," she replied mostly sarcastically, but the romantic in her was also a tiny bit curious.

"Naw, it'd just make you sick," Nick rolled his eyes while prodding her towards the door. To Adam he said, "Just don't steam up the windows. I don't take credit that isn't due. And don't break anything, Romeo," he added sneeringly as he closed the door.

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><p><em>What the heck am I doing here<em>, Adam thought. Now that he was alone, he realized that maybe he should have taken Nick up on his offer. _How was he supposed to talk to Cassie when she didn't even know he was here?_ But he didn't want to scare her anymore. He wanted to do this right. As right as someone stalking her from the house next door could ever get.

So, he opened the window, sat down in front of it and put his arms on the windowsill. He could dimly feel Cassie's presence on the other side and without knowing how he did it, his mind instinctively called out to her, willed her to feel him too.

On the other side, Cassie was swept up in the contentment that being with Adam always brought her. She still didn't fully recognize the sensation yet because it was normally overshadowed by guilt and dizzying passion, but at that moment, it made her want to see the stars outside. In her mind, those were irrevocably linked to Adam's dad telling her that their families were aligned, which in turn reminded her of Adam. Watching the stars and thinking about him didn't hurt nearly as much as actually being around him when he claimed that they were friends while sending her a completely different message.

Upon opening the curtains, Cassie's eyes were instantly drawn to the odd picture of a head poking out above the windowsill. For a moment, she thought Nick was trying to annoy her with yet another weird trick. Almost instantly, however, she recognized Adam looking at her apologetically almost sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," he said quickly leaving it open whether he was apologizing for the strange connection they shared, the even stranger things happening to them, his lapses in control, or all of the above.

Cassie surrendered. Being here was Adam's way of acknowledging that this thing between them, which they still stubbornly refused to name, was not normal, something he had insistently reverted back to time and again. So, despite the anguish all of this was causing her, Cassie cocked her head to the side and gave him a tiny smile in acceptance. She lifted her window as well and tried to mirror his position. But, Cassie was a little too short to sit cross-legged in front of the ledge and only her eyes poked out. Adam grinned at the funny view and Cassie huffed at him in mock indignation. His temporary light-heartedness, however, was infectious and she smiled genuinely at him as she pulled herself into a kneeling position.

Again, the mood changed drastically when Cassie realized what kind of situation they once again found themselves in. "If I didn't think that you are about the nicest, most genuinely good person I know, I'd probably hate you for torturing me like this. I might think that you're doing this on purpose," Cassie said only half-accusing. She was resigned now. How was she supposed to be mad at him, when she knew exactly how he felt, how this feeling of not being able to stay away drove him, as it affected her?

Adam kept looking at her wistfully. Although she was speaking quietly, he understood every word she said across the 15-or-so feet separating them. But Cassie didn't expect him to reply. She just wanted to freely tell him what had been going through her head. "Why is this still happening," she asked pensively. "We bound the circle. That was supposed to fix it. This should be under control for god's sake."

Adam didn't have a definitive answer for that, but he'd figured something out that was as good as anything at this point. "I guess our energies still connect. Automatically," he offered and Cassie nodded slowly. That's what she'd presumed.

"Then," Cassie faltered, she knew he wouldn't like this, it didn't matter that he finally acknowledged the problem. "Can we just try to stay away from each other as much as possible," she asked timidly. "I'm trying, but I need you help, too."

"Cassie," Adam sighed, "it won't work. We're a circle and we live in a small town. We can't avoid each other, even if we tried." Adam was secretly glad about this despite the fact that he sympathized with Cassie's instinctive tactic of avoidance more than she thought. "We have to figure this out, somehow," he continued seriously. "We can't go on like this. I can't stand that you're hurting and especially that I am the one that's causing it," he proclaimed sincerely. _Finally_, this was the crux of what he'd been trying to get at all night. _They had to figure this out. Somehow._

Cassie nodded infinitesimally and he could feel that she was also apprehensive of the outcome of all of this.

"Can you come outside so we can talk," he asked hesitantly.

"Actually, I think we might be better off up here, more distance," Cassie replied thoughtfully.

Adam pondered this for a moment and conceded. It really did look like the wood walls and the space separating them were helping him concentrate on not loosing himself in her. He still basked in her, but it seemed a lot healthier this way. The fuse to his self-control wasn't burning up as hot and as fast as usual.

"So, do you think we'll always have to meet here from now on," he inquired humorously.

"Maybe," Cassie smiled, "but that might be a little strange for Nick and his aunt and uncle."

"Hm, true," he agreed, happy that she was joking with him.

As they were saying this, Cassie became profoundly aware of the circumstances under which they were sitting up there. "Is he there with you," she frowned in confusion. _That'd be weird. _

"Nope, he left with Melissa," Adam said offhandedly. Mildly surprised Cassie quirked an eyebrow, but Adam shrugged noncommittally. Up here, it seemed, they really could talk more freely. The stars were shining above and they got lost in each other almost just like Nick had warned Melissa.

"Can I ask you something," Cassie inquired suddenly, trying to break their reverie and get back on topic. After all, he had promised they would get to the bottom of this.

"Sure," Adam agreed, realizing that maybe he sounded a little too eager to keep the conversation going.

"I already asked you about this, kinda," she hesitated causing Adam to frown apprehensively. Nevertheless, she decided to test his resolve to figure this out.

"When we do magic together – on purpose," she added noting the small self-conscious grin that played on his lips at her hasty clarification, "this tingling. Is it really normal." They both understood that she actually wanted to know if he experienced the same with others. To her, doing magic with Diana had felt noting like that.

"Do you remember what I told you, on the bench," he inquired trying to buy some time in order to figure out how to phrase his answer.

"Oh yeah, vividly," Cassie replied sarcastically, because she had sensed that he had been deflecting that day.

"The energy you feel is normal. To some extent. We're witches and it's true that our powers are naturally drawn to each other. The rest – not so much," he finished a little lamely. "Actually the tingling also isn't quite normal. It's not supposed to be so - intense," he added thoughtlessly.

Cassie was surprised that he was finally acknowledging this outright. "So, never," Cassie started to say, but thought better of it. They both knew that she was going to ask about Diana and the flicker in Adam's eyes told her what she had and, at the same time, hadn't wanted to know. _So, where did this leave them?_ They had just made progress in terms of talking semi-openly about this. _Still, solving their dilemma? Not really._

Adam realized that this was getting dangerously close to paths they probably shouldn't explore if he wanted to stick to his resolution of not hurting her any further. So he decided to approach this from a different angle. "You were right about something else," he offered, deliberately trying to engage her interest.

"Thanks," Cassie replied in obvious bogus amiability, "what about in particular?" She was annoyed that he was being cryptic again, deliberately so, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious.

For some peculiar reason Adam enjoyed her catty replies, he revelled in them. As long as she wasn't hurting he found it adorable, endearing and frankly hot how riled up Cassie could get. "It's not different and it doesn't work," he offered because he knew he had to be careful not to overdraw the situation and make her shut down completely. Except, he hadn't thought this through. Her light blue eyes had been pulling him in, hypnotizing him and he went on, "I cannot control it. Seeing you in danger makes me go completely apeshit. It's like I'm in a constant frenzy," he took a deep breath, realizing that Cassie was staring at him transfixed, "We send each other our thoughts? When Zackary was holding you down all I could think was everyone but you." He was working himself exactly into the state he was talking about and couldn't stop despite himself, "I'm always slipping of the edge when I'm with you. Just one second from going under. And I cannot control myself around you. But what is worse, is that the thought of not being close to you kills me even more. I willed Zackary to fly to the ceiling. It helped that the others were there, but I did that. I could have killed him and I didn't care." This torrent of words was yet another proof of how she unravelled him, Adam realized in shock as he stared at Cassie's frozen face.

It took him a whole ten seconds to break out of his spell, just as long as it took for tears gather in Cassie's eyes, before she turned her head away in a desperate attempt to sever their connection. "Adam, what do you expect me to do," she huffed dully. "I just promised Diana, that I would never come between you guys." Cassie didn't see the surprised and wounded look on his face because she had her back turned to the wall now.

Adam waited for a moment, deciding to choose his words carefully after what he'd just unleashed. "Cassie," he asked gently, but he only saw a small portion of blond head she stubbornly shook, "please come outside," he said steadily. She turned around bewildered at the almost outlandish request. Adam was staring at her more intensely than ever. So, Cassie just gave in. She didn't want to fight this, him, everything, anymore. Why was she the one who was supposed to take a step back? She nodded infinitesimally at him and reluctantly got to her feet.

Adam eagerly jumped up, only dimly aware of the strain in his legs and bounded down the stairs of the slightly disturbing house quickly.

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><p><strong>Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. It makes me very happy that you guys seem to like this. ;)<strong>


	6. Chapter: Taking cover

****I guess I'm not the only one who though WTF on Thursday night. But despite the fact that it's sad which they'll probably delve into further next week, I have to admit that it was … bold! Killing off a member of the main cast after a month? Can't remember seeing that before and not expecting it... ****

**Also, I've decided that I have to stop reading spoilers! **

**I probably won't because I get EXTREMELY excited about them. But, all of the allusions and half-information are making me very self-conscious about this story. I know where I want it to go, but there's also so much stuff that I've read and watched in the back of my mind because the show is getting more complex and new stuff is being revealed about Cassie/Adam and Adam/Diana, and in the end, I just can't integrate it all. **

**I have the feeling that someone reading this 4 weeks from now will think the characters and their motivations are sooo off the grid. But then again. This is fanfiction. We can take the stories wherever we want to, right? That's the beauty of it.  
><strong>

**As an afterthought, I'd actually be interested: Even if s.o. reads this for the first time a few weeks/months in the future, what do you think now that the show has progressed?**

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><p>This time when she came within reach Adam didn't hesitate but immediately engulfed Cassie tightly in his arms. She had collected herself fairly well before she stepped outside the door and spotted him looking up at her anxiously over the edge of the patio, where he was fairly well hidden from the street. <em>Great, nothing weird about having to hide in the shadows<em>, Cassie had thought gloomily. But now her face was shamelessly buried in his warm chest because his fingers were once again stroking comfortingly along the base of her skull. _Why did this have to feel so addictively good?_

As he buried his face in Cassie's hair trying to curl around her protectively Adam forgot for a moment what he actually wanted to say. "She shouldn't have done that," Adam whispered very quietly but firmly next to her ear suddenly remembering the issue at hand, why Cassie was upset.

"Well she did and she had a right to, she loves you," Cassie shot back, muffled by his chest. She fisted her hands in her own shirt to keep herself from reaching out to him. She wasn't supposed to.

Adam pulled back gently, not without noting with some male satisfaction that she seemed completely reluctant to move. But he wanted to see her eyes for this. "Diana, is a good person," he said matter-of-factly and regretted it almost immediately when Cassie's eyes tried to shift away from his, hurt in spite of herself that he brought his girlfriend up with such pride. But Adam stroked her cheek and gently guided her eyes back to his. "But she can be rather controlling too. She has her reasons for that," he added quickly, not wanting to disrespect his girlfriend who did after all hold their group together. But he needed to make sure that Cassie understood that he didn't always see eye to eye with Diana just because they were together. "She shouldn't have put you in that position. You're far too good to go against something like that. She shouldn't have put pressure on you."

"Well, she was right to, wasn't she?" Cassie challenged him meekly. Now it was Adam's turn to avoid her eyes nervously.

"No, she should have talked to me," but his conscience reminded him of something.

"Would that have made a difference?" Cassie asked like she already knew the answer.

"Yes. – Well, no. She kinda did, and I promised her she had nothing to worry about, but that doesn't mean that she had any right to manipulate you like that," Adam insisted but they were going in circles he realized.

"Thanks," Cassie offered doubtfully. In the end it didn't matter. It didn't change the fact that he was in fact with Diana, and they couldn't be together because that would cause chaos in the circle. And, since they apparently couldn't even keep their hands to themselves even when he was with someone else, it probably wouldn't be such a great idea for them to be together anyway.

But Adam's thoughts were going in the opposite direction. "Please, look at me Cassie. This doesn't feel wrong. It can't be wrong. And I just cannot feel out of control anymore. When I'm around you I'm also calmer and more centered than ever before," he took a deep breath trying to focus which proved to be difficult with her so close, but he didn't want to spill stuff he shouldn't like he had minutes before. "I don't wanna hurt Diana, and I love her," at Cassie's startled gasp of hurt he looked even deeper into her eyes, willing her not to look away, to understand. "But, seeing this look on your face is worse than anything else. I just can't bear to hurt you, and I know you're hurting too when we're not together."

Cassie morosely thought that his eyes were more potent than their actual magic. "We can't and you know it. And it just hurts even more that you keep trying," she insisted struggling to sound surer of this than she was. She took a step backwards trying to put some much needed space between them but she stumbled in the dark and instantly found herself surrounded by him again. _This was getting ridiculous; He was putting them in the same situations over and over again._ "Adam you really have to stop doing that," she mumbled into his shoulder but her warm breath on his neck didn't exactly help matters any. She had caught herself by holding onto his neck and was once again absentmindedly raking her fingers through his hair.

Adam leaned back still supporting Cassie with his arms and rested his forehead against hers. If he couldn't convince her with words, maybe non-verbal communication would work. Her light blue eyes, in spite of the pain and fear they were emanating, were still pulling him in, still beckoning with an intensity and promise that was impossible to ignore. There was no one and nothing around to interrupt them this time, no lights in close proximity or water droplets they would have noticed. Adam lowered his head to brush his nose against Cassie's and he could feel and smell her sweet, shaky breath.

She tried to convince herself that her heart beating wildly in her chest was due to the turmoil of the entire night, but she knew exactly why it was jumping around wildly, quite literally using her ribcage as a drum set. Adam released a gush of scrumptious air on her face. "Please don't," she huffed half-heartedly.

Startled by the panic he had once again put in her eyes Adam closed his own to focus and reclined his head the fraction of an inch. However, Cassie's fingers instantly flexed on his neck and his eyes shot open in surprise when her soft lips suddenly latched onto his. He instinctively pushed his head forward fusing their lips more tightly together as he pushed them both one step back in a frantic attempt to get closer.

Only a few millimetres apart, their eyes were locked together wide in shock at the yet unsurpassed bolt cursing through them. It fused their mouths together like two magnets and the momentum they had to use in order to tear their heads apart made each of them stagger back two steps.

With pleasurable waves of heat still coursing through him Adam couldn't stand not touching her and grasped her hands in his. He was grinning giddily until he saw that Cassie shrunk away from him and was once again avoiding his eyes ashamed of her momentary lapse in control. He took another step closer in order to comfort her but she lifted her right arm to stop him. When her hand connected to his chest her fingertips tingled at the feeling of his heart moving wildly inside his skin. His hand was scorchingly warm when he pressed hers tighter to his chest and Cassie could feel the muscles contract hotly under his shirt. Adam once again held her tightly, afraid she would bolt at any second. He was trying to calm his ragged breathing and stroked his right hand slowly up and down her arm, but Cassie protested firmly, "This isn't helping."

"I'm sorry, Cassie. What do you want me to do? Tell me, and I'll do it," he whispered desperately wanting to take her pain away. Betraying Diana also felt like betraying Cassie. He didn't remember when the distinction of who he felt like he was cheating on had started to get skewed.

For a long and not-nearly-long-enough moment, he pressed his lips to her forehead. Cassie felt like heat and goose bumps were circling the outside of her brain. "Sorry doesn't help either. We have to stop this. We have to keep our distance. _You_ have to keep your distance. The circle doesn't matter. You only need one more person to do magic and once you tell Diana that I kissed you she won't want me around anymore anyway," Cassie said dejectedly. "Problem solved."

"God, Cass," Adam exclaimed unseeingly turning his face up to the sky, "what are we supposed to do." He could literally feel the guilt emanating off of her and couldn't leave her like that. _Just made everything worse for her. Again. _

"OK, I'll stay away," he agreed hoarsely but laid his cheek on her head. "Just please don't be sad anymore. Relax. I know you're beating yourself up over this, but it's not your fault." She wanted to reply that it was actually his fault, because he kept pursuing her when he knew perfectly well that he shouldn't. But she also knew that honestly she relished in his presence, wanted him near, deep down, no matter how much it hurt.

Adam lovingly held her jaw in his hand and placed another long kiss on her forehead not trusting himself to look into her eyes again, not when his lips were still tingling from when he'd felt the soft glide of hers. "Please sleep OK. Please relax. You're anxious, and I just want you to be happy."

Gathering all his strength, he slowly withdrew his hands and hesitantly took a step back to give her some of the requested space. "I will stay away, but I still want you to call me whenever you need me. Please, promise me that."

Cassie gave an infinitesimal nod that didn't convince either of them, turned around staggering and bolted up the stairs.

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><p><strong>Just to clarify. Yes, I made them kiss while Adam is still with Diana, and also yes, I made them still 'want' to stay apart. For now.<strong>

**You guys are probably getting whiplash from all that back and forth, don't you? Well, just imagine that that's probably **just like they'd **be feeling. :)**


	7. Chapter: Into the Past

**I'm baaaaack. ;D**

**Sorry, life kinda caught up on me – or rather I had to catch up to it. Let's see how long that lasts & when I can get the next chapter up here.**

**So, since it's been a while: This is still set after 'Loner'. We've learnt a lot more since then and that doesn't completely match up with this, but I've had parts of this chapter planned since the beginning. Also, this one doesn't have too much Cassie/Adam in it, but I like Daddy-Conant and the Amelia backstory. So, now that I've rambled again, have fun with the actual chapter… ;)**

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><p>Cassie slept like a stone, deeply and soundly, out of pure exhaustion. As her head hit the pillow, she thought for only one second, <em>How could someone feel so many different things in one day?<em> before she went under.

She woke up then next morning and immediately became aware of the tingling that, the night before, she had thought was just due to her hypersensitized nerves. But now that she was more lucid Cassie realized that wherever Adam had touched her while he was kissing her, her neck, her right arm, her forehead and most prominently her lips, were still tingling, still felt the gentle pressure of his touch. She absentmindedly stroked one hand across her arms to overwrite the sensation of his hand on her with a new one, but that didn't seem to work. Next, she pinched her lower lip between two fingers, but once the little pain had subsided it was immediately back to the tingling and gentle pressure almost like his lips were still gliding over hers. Frowning, she finally opened her eyes and looked at the faintly outlined stickers above her head. __Well, this was – not good. __

In the bathroom, Cassie splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror with water still dripping down her chin. It was incomprehensible that she still looked the same as the morning before. It felt like every cell had 'Adam touched this' stamped on it. She brushed a finger across her lips again and looked more closely. _Had she really kissed him?_ But she must have because, although she had imagined it before, quite a few times actually, she couldn't have imagined anything like THIS. The heat, the tingling, the bubbles rushing through her blood and that need, that need to never stop. She kept absentmindedly rubbing herself trying to make the tingling go away, but by now she'd figured out that it probably wouldn't. So, apparently she was supposed to walk through life with the constant reminder of him. _Awesome_, she told herself sarcastically. But, as she stepped into the shower, another part of her brain almost purred, _there could be worse things_.

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><p>Too distracted to bother with breakfast, Cassie went into town. She still wasn't sure about this, but she had decided that for once she would be the one going to him, apologizing to Adam for pushing him away, for telling him they couldn't see each other anymore. Maybe she could stay away from him after all, now that they had in fact kissed and she could still feel him on her. <em><em>Maybe that would be enough.<em>_ As she was walking up to the waterfront, she was dimly aware that her reasoning was probably flawed, but she did not really care. He had looked devastated, and she couldn't have that.

It was a slow day at the boathouse when Cassie stepped inside. "Hey Mr. Conant, is Adam here?" Cassie asked smiling as she walked up to the man behind the counter and slid onto a stool at the bar.

"No, sorry," he replied and seemed genuinely sad about giving her bad news. "He left pretty early this morning, but I don't know where he went."

"Oh," she replied, surprised. _Well, that was anticlimactic._ She didn't really know what to do now. It was after all Sunday. And Mr. Conant had put a glass of water in front of her. So, she might as well have breakfast here.

She smiled at him in thanks and looked at the glass lost in thought about Adam and the entire screwed up thing. Maybe it was a sign that he wasn't there. Maybe she should just leave it at that and distance was the watchword after all.

"Are you OK, Cassie?" he was looking at her with concern and also affection that seemed to emanate from the mere fact that she was the daughter of Amelia. He did not need any other reason to like this girl.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied distractedly, but when she looked at the face that emanated pure sadness, she realized that he might be the only other person alive who might be able to relate to what was happening to her and Adam. "Actually, can I ask you something?"

He raised his eyebrows apprehensively and started rinsing glasses. Whatever she wanted to talk would be filled with pitfalls, but he still wanted to help her. She was Amelia's after all, "Sure."

Cassie sensed his hesitation, thinking he was probably afraid to reveal something about witchcraft to her, but she wasn't interested in that, for once. It was more important that she found out how to be around Adam, without jumping him, and it seemed to have worked between his dad and her mum – sort of. "About this 'being written in the stars,'" Cassie avoided his intense gaze, feeling ashamed at the tingling that only seemed to intensify when she thought about this.

"You feel it, don't you? With Adam?" Ethan inquired like this was a revelation. But he knew the answer as soon he saw her eyes become as wide as saucers in fear, almost like he'd found out her deepest secret. "He's a good kid. Better than I was his age." He paused, trying to figure out how to make her eyes less tortured. "But I guess it's just an old legend, probably got the better of me when I heard it as a kid. Don't worry," he assured her not really buying his own words.

She took a deep breath and went at it from a different angle, "Can you tell me a little about my mom?" She really wanted to understand more about the Chance Harbor side of her mother that she'd never had the chance to get to know. And the love for her that permeated of this man somehow made Cassie feel closer to her.

Ethan's eyes flashed painfully but he also had a loving smile on his face as he got sucked into the past. "What would you like to know?"

The connection between their situation and her and Adam. "How did you do it? You loved her. How did you stay away?"

Ethan chuckled humourlessly at that. "Oh, your mom was stubborn. But I'm sure you know that," he said and there was pride in his voice.

Cassie grinned back. Oh, yeah she did know that. "But seriously. Did it ever go away, I mean, get better, less – out of control?" Ethan's eyes squinted incredulously at that. Having love and missed Amelia all this time he'd almost forgotten about that part, the need, the desire. But Cassie's question actually got him thinking, _How_ had _they __dealt __with __it?_

He spoke very carefully, trying not to reveal anything he shouldn't, "Your mom and I, we knew each other for years, since we were children. And we'd always felt connected and always been close." His eyes misted over at some memory Cassie couldn't see. "But when you know each other for so long and you feel that this is your only path, you – get angry, you feel trapped. – It can be very scary to feel so much so soon, when you're too young, younger than you even." He took a deep rattling breath. "And I really wasn't the most reliable, especially at 12 or 13. I was always trying to be for her, but some things I just didn't see soon enough, and we hurt each other in the process. Like I said, Amelia was very stubborn and so strong. But, I always thought it would work out eventually, but then your father came to town, and everything changed further."

"I don't understand what happened?" Cassie asked compassionately. She had never known her father, but considering how much emotion was emanating of this man, it was hard to believe that her dad had loved her mom more than that.

Ethan replied very deliberately. "I can't tell you anything about your father. It's not my place and we grew apart when she met him. Sorta. I could still feel her, and I am sure she felt it too, but some things are stronger than that," he said cryptically, but he continued so he wouldn't give her any more reason to press for information on Blackwell. "I got kinda lost when she pulled away. But had we gotten together, you wouldn't be here. So, one good thing came of this," he grinned at her knowingly before his eyes became serious again. "Still, I always hoped she'd come back one day."

In spite of what he'd told her, she was not any closer to solving her dilemma with Adam. How was she supposed to stay away from him, how were they supposed to stay away from each other, when even their parents after a lifetime of practice and heartache still hadn't managed to get over this? "How did she leave?" Cassie asked softly. Ethan's eyes misted over again and he was transported back in time.

Sixteen years ago, Amelia stood before him, a packed car behind her and baby Cassie in a cradle next to her. They both felt the anguish over everything that had happened and caused her to leave, without even having to communicate it out loud. Words had become obsolete anyway. In his arms he held Adam, who had been difficult lately, crying a lot because he missed his mother. But now he was intently staring at the other baby sleeping in her cradle, the blond curls spilling out from her fuzzy hat. As if knowing he was watching her, Cassie opened her eyes slowly and immediately focussed on the little boy. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this, except for the fact that babys were certainly not supposed to stare so intensely.

Tearing her gaze away from the kids, Amelia's eyes found Ethan's. This was yet another reason for her to leave. They both knew from experience how their next few years would play out if she remained in Chance Harbor. Anxiety and confusion would lead their children's lives, and a consuming intensity that no kid should have to deal with.

"I'm sorry," Amelia told him with a sad smile that did reach much deeper than the actual words. They both knew that she was not just apologizing for leaving right at this moment, but for years and months of mistakes behind them. "It's OK, love," Ethan reassured her sadly, and Amelia did not even flinch at the completely, but considering the circumstances, not at all inappropriate endearment.

"Good bye, Ethan" she stammered weakly, still looking into his eyes like she was trying to memorize him for a lifetime to come.

"See you," he said trying to lift the mood by cracking a morose smile, because he knew that he was going to see her. He had years of memories of her stored away and although he did not know how to do that yet, without going insane, he intended to relish in them.

Startled, Ethan broke out of his trip down memory lane. _How __long __had __he __been __out of it?_

But as he looked the girl across from him he realized that she too was lost in thought and staring intently at her hand. In his peripheral vision he became aware of Adam walking passed the widow behind her. _Ah_, he remembered that too, feeling Amelia's energy connect to his whenever she was close. It was quite striking how strong the bound between those two already seemed to be. Having lived with it all his life, he'd guessed that it would take longer to become that profound._ Let's hope they figure this out soon. They can only deny it for so long, before one of them snaps._ He saw Cassie absentmindedly touching her finger to her lips. _Hm, if they haven't already._ His grin grew even wider.

Cassie could feel Adam; There was no mistake possible. The tingling and sizzling energy in her body increased immeasurably. _So, it had definitely been a mistake to come here._ But there was no escape now. She was rooted to her seat.

As Adam stepped through the doors, his eyes immediately focused on Cassie's blond head without even looking around. He was only dimly aware of his dad grinning unabashedly at his son's solitary focus over the girl's shoulder as he walked up behind her. And Cassie didn't even pretend to look surprised as she twisted around a little in her seat to see Adam beaming at her from the corner of her eyes, before he simply said "Hi."

He felt dizzy. __Cassie was here! She had come here! To him!__

A little confused, she was nonetheless pulled in by the brightness of his grin. And trying unsuccessfully to avert her eyes, she lamely mumbled back, "Hey."

For one second Adam's gaze was distracted by his father watching them intently, before his eyes focused on Cassie again. He realized in that instance that although he had always loved his dad he had at times probably been quite harsh on him. This man who had lost almost everything that made life worthwhile to him, had at least still stuck around for him. Feeling what he felt now, Adam decided that his childhood could have turned out a lot worse. But he didn't dwell on that because Cassie had twisted around 90° degrees in her seat again self-consciously. So, Adam took one more step towards her and without saying another word he held his hand out to help her down the barstool.

Incredulously, Cassie stare shifted back and forth between Adam's glowing face and his outstretched hand. Every cell on her skin seemed aligned to his touch, craving the contact, and like a magnet drawn to a different pole, her hand tingled excitedly and decided to grasp his of its own volition. In spite of this moment of selfish indulgence, Cassie fully intended to let go once she was on her feet. But Adam pulled her willing figure to him and she bumped into him lightly only to stumble back a fraction trying to put a few inched between them. But, Adam didn't let go of her hand, and instead laced his warm fingers through hers. His face was glowing with a sheepish playfulness she hadn't seen before as his thumb stroked softly the back of her hand. Cassie was stunned at his unabashed actions, but she couldn't help closing her eyes in enjoyment all the same.

Startled, she suddenly turned around, because she'd completely forgotten about Ethan behind the counter. He was smiling wistfully but genuinely at them. "You kids have fun," he said as Adam lightly squeezed and tugged on Cassie's hand causing her to face him again. He led her outside, all the while keeping the current between their hands going.


	8. Chapter: Whole

**All right, so it has been over two weeks – again. But this one is goooood. I hope. :)**

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><p>"Where are we going," Cassie asked absentmindedly. She was profoundly aware of Adam's hand which was still softly clasping hers. <em><em>Why was he doing this?<em> _Sure she'd come to him this time, but nothing had changed. __How could it have?__

Adam was silent for a few seconds as they walked side by side along the dock passing numerous boats on both sides. He kept drawing gentle circles in Cassie's palm, determined not to let go of her hand which felt like his only lifeline to him right about then. "It's so weird that dad talks to you about all that," Adam said avoiding her gaze.

"I guess it's because I remind him of my mom," she offered, instinctively wanting to ease his discomfort.

"Great, and that's not twisted at all," he huffed.

_Well, obviously there were a few issues between the Conant men,_ Cassie realized. _Apparently family mess was also included in this written-in-the-stars-package. Or was that a general witch-thing? _

"It wasn't easy growing up with him. He was always so sad," Adam admitted apologetically. Now he was the one who wouldn't look at her. "It took me years to figure out that when he was talking about 'Amelia' he wasn't talking about my mother. I always figured that he must be like this because of my mom, but I guess it was because of yours."

Comfortingly, she laid her hand on his warm shoulder and smiled. "OK, you're right. It is weird."

Adam had led them to his dad's boat where they were relatively shielded from view although it was out in the open, when the words "I told Diana," suddenly, quietly bubbled forward after he'd helped her onto the deck.

Cassie's breath caught in her throat, and she whirled around to look at him. "W-what did you tell her?" __Of course, it would come to this__, she tried to reason with herself. She had been the one to kiss him – mostly – so he wouldn't have to feel guilty or take the blame. Still, it felt like a punch to the gut that he'd told Diana, and all her chances of being friends with the girl as well as probably Adam were gone.

"I told her that I cannot push away how I feel about you anymore, that I tried, and that I am sorry. I think I said I was sorry quite a few times." Since Cassie was still looking at him uncomprehendingly, he added, "I broke up with Diana earlier," to make it absolutely clear.

_In the end it had boiled down to the decision for the lesser of two evils. He did not want to hurt Diana; he loved her, still did, in spite of what he felt for Cassie. __They'd been through too much together, for that to go away so easily. __But, cruel as it was, he could live with hurting Diana, and he tried to convince himself that she could too, somehow. What he couldn't handle anymore was hurting Cassie. It just wasn't an option in his mind; after all she'd been through that he was the one that had the potential of hurting her even more. _

_And this 'thing' between them wouldn't go away, he'd realized last night when he was laying in bed and felt like he was still standing outside Cassie's house with her tiny form in his arms and her lips on his, until, completely frustrated, he'd decided that he couldn't postpone this any longer._

_Diana had cried for a while and pleaded with him that they would be able to work this out. But when he'd insisted, she had stoically accepted his faltering explanations and apologies, as he somehow knew she would. He hadn't told her about the kiss, maybe out of cowardice, but he also tried to convince himself that it was pointless to hurt her even more by revealing that bit of information._

While Adam was pondering this again, Cassie brain quite literally froze at the, in her current mindset, outlandish revelation. However, the moment his words actually sunk in she snatched her hand out of his, although her chest was suddenly feeling a lot lighter. "Why would you do that?" she demanded still confused.

Seeing her square her shoulders in order to look tall and intimidating, Adam was reminded of a little cat trying to look scary. __Well, apparently this would be more difficult than convincing Diana of the actual break-up. __"I think she kinda knew. I feel horrible about it, because she asked me about you and me just after you got here, and at the time I said that she had nothing to worry about. But I think she's figured it out since then. She is not stupid, and she has known me for a long time."

"Exactly my point," Cassie huffed and averted her eyes because she was just a few seconds away from kissing him again. "Why would you throw that away?"

"It's just not fair," he said dejectedly but quietly determined. "It wasn't fair to Diana, and it's not fair to either of us, if we keep denying this, because there is something there." Having her stubbornly avoid his eyes Adam couldn't help feeling unsure about the last part. "There is something, right? You feel it, too?"

Unwillingly, hope soared in Cassie's body. She felt light and happy only to realize that they still couldn't be together. Adam and Diana had just broken up – because of her – and despite the fact that she was trying to find other friends outside of the circle, Cassie didn't want to hurt the one girl that had treated her well since the beginning.

"Cassie, please look at me," he prodded gently.

"I don't think so," she insisted in a sing-song voice. "That's what's always getting us into trouble, and into these situations," she replied humourlessly.

He put his arms around her, loosely this time. She stood still like a statue. "Cass, what we're feeling is not a mistake. Not when it feels so right." "You are feeling this, too, right?" he asked again, insecure by then because of her adamant refusal. _Was everything he was feeling just brought on __by the stories his father had told him since he had been barely able to walk. __Had all those years simply gone to his head?_

"Yes", she signed addressing his shoulder, and yielded a little into his embrace. "Why do you think it's so hard for me to say no to you?"

Adam wanted to point out that she didn't have to anymore, but he also wanted her to realize on her own how good they could be together. It didn't feel right to push her, when he wanted to convince her. _Stupid__ dilemma._ "You don't have to. You talked to my dad. You've seen what denying this has done to him."

"I think it's the other stuff that happened sixteen years ago did that too," Cassie said feebly.

"Maybe. We don't know," he sighed still attempting to catch her eyes. "But what I do know is that all the time while I was growing up he kept telling me about your mom. I'm pretty sure he's like this mostly because of her."

"That's not her fault," Cassie challenged him heatedly, but now she made the mistake of looking up at his face.

Adam smirked triumphantly when he saw the flicker of realization in her eyes because now she couldn't turn away anymore, and said gently, "You know that's not what I meant. I think he mostly blames himself and whatever happened all those years ago. But the point is I don't want us to go through that. I'm sure we can control our magic and contain it, but not by ignoring it like they did. We have to stop denying it and just deal with it," his eyes were pleading with her, literally bewitchingly.

"Adam, nothing has changed," Cassie tried to be exasperated, but his proximity made her sound vulnerable and unconvincing even to her own ears.

"I think everything has changed. It changed the moment you came into town," Adam said more intensely now and he pulled her supple body close to his, trying to absorb her warmth.

"We can't," she sighed, and reluctantly twisted away from him, but Adam seized her arm gently but firmly, and with her overall reluctance to leave his presence it didn't take much prodding for her to turn around again.

"I don't want to hurt Diana, believe me, I don't. I love her. But that just doesn't compare to what it's like with you." He lifted his hand to caress her neck to distraction, deliberately trying to rile her up.

"God damn it, why do you keep doing that?" Cassie huffed but did nothing to escape his hot fingers.

"Because I love seeing you all hot and bothered. I know it turns you on and that turns me on in return." He was done holding back now.

Cassie eyes flashed wide at his directness. It was true, no question about that, but Adam had always been so cryptic before that she hadn't imagined him coming out and saying this so explicitly.

"It was already impossible to stay away from you when I was still with Diana. Now, it'd be excruciating, not to mention stupid." As if to prove his point the hypnotizing band running between their gazes pulled both of their heads closer, infinitesimally but steadily, without them consciously moving. Cassie could have counted his soft eyelashes while Adam got lost in the different facets that made up her soft-blue her irises.

He had resolved – kinda – not to kiss her again, not as long as she insisted to resist him, but that didn't mean he had to play fair. He let his hot breath ghost across her face causing Cassie's eyes to flutter shut in pleasure. Adam nudged her cheek with his nose almost playfully trying to catch her attention.

Cassie's eyes shot open and he almost literally saw the fire flash there the moment before she lurched forward and closed her mouth over his lips in abandon. _Yes_, every cell in his body rejoiced at the sizzling shiver that broke out all over his skin and the heat deep in his core. He instantly sucked her top lip into his mouth and licked his tongue across it from one side to the other. _Sweetness and Cassie – definitely his favourite taste from now on._ He could feel a few sharp little teeth bury themselves in his bottom lip and his hips involuntarily shot forward while his hands started clawing at her t-shirt trying to ride it up, so he could touch bare, soft skin that seemed far too hot with all the energy currents emanating from her.

But he broke away as if burned the moment his fingers touched the soft skin on her lower back which caused her to gasp into his mouth. He needed an answer. She was right in a sense, they had to stop doing this, 'this' being loosing control and then going back to resisting it until the next time they snapped. It just wouldn't work if he wanted to prevent Cassie from hurting.

He leaned his forehead against hers so their height difference automatically ensured the necessary distance between their mouths while their panted breaths mingled. He was waiting, and Cassie knew exactly what for. Acknowledgement. Acceptance.

"We are really doing this, aren't we?" she asked. Hope was shyly shining in her gaze.

Adam revealed the brightest and widest grin she had seen yet, "Yep, we are," and almost tackled her when he fused their mouths together again. Before, they'd flinched away from the impossible intensity of energy flowing between them, but now the bubbles of heat that were exploding under her skull and spreading out all over his skin only spurred them on in their frenzy to get closer.

Adam buried his nose in the gap between Cassie neck and shoulder and was kissing, licking, and softly biting the sensitive flesh above her collarbone repeatedly. Instinctively she wanted to shake him off because the exquisite tingling and pleasure emanating from his lips was just too much to process. But she couldn't bring herself to make him stop and desperately nipped his earlobe with her lips, the only place she could reach, while he was doing these delicious things to her. The tingling heat in her stomach was spreading and she could feel Adam's hard excitement against her lower belly. He wasn't even attempting to hide it, but instead of shirking away from it Cassie grinned internally in shameless pride that she had this effect on him.

The part about controlling themselves wasn't working yet, Adam might have realized, had he been at all concerned about that at that moment. But with Cassie clouding his senses as her tongue kept searching into his mouth, fighting him and coaxing him at the same time, he was drowning to be closer, trying to devour her, pull her near, and mould her body to his. He needed to be closer to her bare skin and sighed in satisfaction when his hands hitched up her shirt and lovingly squeezed the warm, soft skin of her back and stomach.

Cassie was also clawing his shirt out of his pants and once she's successfully found smooth skin even dipped her fingers a few millimetres under his belt.

Just when they were about to go above and beyond where they should go right then, the frenzied passion vibrating between them slowed down to a satisfied cracking fire. Along with it the kiss grew less desperate, although the passion did not diminish in the slightest.

They were finally able to separate if only for a second to take in a gush of air until their eyes pulled each other in again, this time glimmering gleefully. Every time they removed their lips from each other, their gazes would connect once more, opening a deliciously vicious circle of softly sucking and nibbling at each other's mouths.

Their lips were red, puffy and almost raw when Adam, mirroring her by keeping his arms clasped tightly around Cassie and breathing heavily along with her, asked. "You're not gonna keep fighting me on this now, are you?" He punctuated the question with yet another short but deep wet kiss. She was staring at him with incredibly wide eyes as he laid his forehead against hers again and he grinned cheekily, "because I'm pretty sure I can convince you." He emphasized this by squeezing the soft skin on her back which made Cassie gasp and bow her body impossibly closer still.

But she knew that they both could play that game. She curled her hands into the short hair at the base of Adam's skull and tugged just a little causing his pupils to darken and dilate further. At the same time, Cassie leaned her head back and pulled him with her by the bottom lip she was softly holding between he lips and teeth.

"I love it when you do that," Adam mumbled distractedly against her mouth.

"I know," Cassie grinned sheepishly, "I can feel it," she bumped his hips playfully letting him know that she was well aware of his condition. He pressed himself back into her because he was by no means ashamed of showing her what she did to him. Their eyes sparkled with giddiness.

In spite of everything, Cassie's thoughts returned to Diana. The other girl was her closest friend here. _Well, apart from Adam, but that was a whole different – friendship._ She shock her head, buried her nose in his neck and placed a short kiss on his pulse point. "I feel like this could be soo easy. Being with you feels completely natural. I have no idea how I could ever go back to the way life was before. It wasn't bad or anything, but it just feels so empty looking backwards. I can't imagine letting you go."

"That's good," he replied happily but quickly became serious. "I want us to do this, without feeling guilty. I still do, because I broke Diana's heart, but you most definitely don't. It's not our fault that we have this connection. But it's there and it feels right."

He stroked his knuckles delicately along her cheek, and smiling a little sadly again Cassie suggested, "Let's just keep this kind of on the down-low for now. I don't want to sneak around, but let's not to push it in Diana's face."

She grinned into his mouth when he laid another soft kiss on her pliant lips in acknowledgment. It just felt too good and too perfect to be finally able to do this, be close to each other without guilt.

Well, much thereof. Cassie's breath hitched as he sucked her tongue into his mouth again. The guilt would come back, tomorrow and the next days when they would see Diana and have to keep themselves in check. But for now, exploring everything that was going on between them seemed much – more – important.

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><p><strong>OK guys, this is it. I could end it here and the story would feel fairly well-rounded to me.<strong>

**However, I also have an idea for a short epilogue. So, if you guys still want to read that, I might post it soon. Sooner, than the last two chapters! Promise.**

**I also have an M-rated chapter planned as an additional epilogue, although if I ever find the courage to finish that I'll post that separately because of the different rating. So, if you want to/are allowed to read that, keep your eyes open for that.**

**And thirdly, I came up with an idea for a (funny) prequel – kinda – set in ep. 2. But since I like the beginning of this story immediately before the binding of the circle I'll post that separately too.**

**It's been a really wild ride for me. I'm sooo happy that I managed to keep this up until the end, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. :) **


	9. Epilogue

Cassie kept her eyes fixed on the contents of her locker, without really seeing them. "I thought you said we'd keep our distance. For Diana's sake," Cassie said an amused lilt in her voice because she'd felt Adam almost as soon as he entered the hallway a good 50 yards away and immediately zoned in on her. They were getting better and better at sensing each others presence; hopefully this would come in handy at some point and not become completely creepy. Every single hair on her body once again seemed to align to Adam's presence causing delicious tingles and goose bumps to break out all over her skin.

Adam's entire body was completely focused on Cassie as well as he breathed in deeply trying to fill his lungs with her smell. "I am. This is a perfectly acceptable distance to anyone watching us. And I'm actually very proud of myself because I haven't kissed you yet."

Cassie was fairly sure that he was deliberately making his voice sound even huskier and more seductive than usual. Still, people passing them were paying no attention to Adam standing just about half a foot too close to be entirely 'acceptable' and she definitely wasn't going to point that out.

He leaned his head a little closer still and whispered hoarsely, "I keep having these flashes of kissing you and taking you in my arms all the time. I need to be close to you and feel you, and I can't even hug you." He took a deep staggering breath because the blush he saw creeping up Cassie's neck and face was not helping his resolve at all. "We might have to figure something out, so I don't snap and start mauling you in the hallways," he grinned but his eyes were slightly wild Cassie realized when she reeled her head and saw that he was being quite serious.

"Well, maybe we'll have to meet up before school, so you can get your fix," she offered cheekily but they both heard the excited tremble in her voice.

"And during lunch," Adam added grinning eagerly.

"Greedy much," Cassie smiled at him flirtatiously. When she licked her lips, she instantly saw the self-control in his eyes slip a tiny bit just before his warm fingers suddenly grasped her hip, touching the bare skin where her shirt had ridden up. Luckily the side he was now lovingly caressing with his thumb and fingers was turned towards the lockers and partially hidden from the student body. Adam was looking at her almost predatorily and squeezed tenderly which causing Cassie's eyes to dilate with the realization that they probably shouldn't mess around when they could not control their instinctive reactions to one another anyway.

Somewhere behind him, a locker slammed loudly shut, and Adam drew back his hand as if burned, which wasn't so unlikely because that's how those few millimetres of skin felt to Cassie; they were at that moment the center of her body; all the heat and energy in her was concentrated in those few inches of skin on her waist – just because he'd touched her there.

Frowning shortly at his own carelessness, Adam resolutely shoved his fists into his pockets and Cassie took a deep breath, trying to calm her raging hormones, powers, energies, whatever it was. She saw Adam's eyes automatically shift to her expanding chest and back to her face again. Playfully, Cassie hit his shoulder and his eyes glinted back as he shrugged. _What was he supposed to do? He couldn't help it that he wanted her. He'd proven that the day before. _

"Get to class," she smiled at him, silently pleased at the effect she had on him.

"I'll walk you to yours," he offered instantly and took a step back so they could walk through the halls separated by a good foot, just like friends would. _Perfectly acceptable. Nothing wrong with that_. Briefly, however, the thought flashed through Adam's mind that anyone casually walking by between them just then would most likely be electrocuted or spontaneously combust.

They were moving through the halls in companionable silence. Small talk was really not necessary between them anymore now that they had figured out the 'important things'. As they were walking down the stairs Sally greeted them cheerfully, "Hey Cassie, Adam," her arm was still in the sling. "Saturday was absolutely awesome. Well, apart from that guy messing up the halls. I still don't understand why he would do something like that. But whatever, I'm already planning the next event: a carnival to collect funds for the fall dance. Do you want to help me out again?" she asked Cassie excitedly.

Cassie was glad Sally didn't dwell on the Zackary issue and deliberately skipped over the topic so the other girl wouldn't focus on that train of thought again. "Oh, yeah, sure. How about we meet at the boathouse after school?"

Cassie's eyes flashed briefly up to Adam's who was, now, most definitely standing too close, slightly behind her his chest brushed against her arm whenever she moved which she admittedly did a little more often than necessary as well. Adam nodded infinitesimally signalling that he'd be working later that day which meant that meeting Sally gave Cassie the perfect excuse to be there. _Not that they needed any_, she tried to remind herself with a pang of inescapable guilt.

"Perfect," Sally smiled and frowned slightly incredulous at the way those two seemed to absentmindedly sway towards one another. _Had she missed something since Saturday?_

The bell rang for everyone to go to their classrooms, so Sally quickly waved them good bye only to turn around after five steps to catch Adam almost, but only almost, by accident brush his hand down Cassie's spine and rest it in her lower back which in turn made her spin her head towards him and reveal a full-blown grin. _Wow_, Sally thought as she turned around again. _Taken, my ass, but that was SOMETHING! _She would have sooo much fun getting that titbit of information out of her new friend later.

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><p><strong>All right, so this is the epilogue. Thank you so, so much for all the reviews and alerts you've given me for this story. They were incredibly encouraging and made sure that I got this far in writing this. So, thanks everyone.<strong>

**And Happy Thanksgiving to all readers from the US. It's my first here so I'm really excited...  
><strong>


	10. Announcement

Yep, I'm still alive. ;) And I've posted the promised M-rated chapter.

Before I could finish it I first had to do what I came to the US for. Study.

The story is called Everything there is: /s/8013156/1/Everything_there_is

Have fun with it. If you dare...


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